I learned all of these skills at the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Services center on McDuff and Commonwealth, a center that is slated for closure in the new budget.

If the old saying is true -"Give a man a fish and he eats for a day; teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime" - then the center is a place that lifetime skills are provided.

Let us fervently hope that the city fathers vote for fishing lessons and not frozen fillets (developer handouts).

VICTORIA FREEMAN, Jacksonville

HEALTH CARE: Protecting the vulnerable

In the health care reform debate, there is much misinformation, distortion and political games on both sides of the aisle.

While everybody won't agree on every aspect of health care reform, there are several aspects that I think are reasonable.

Health care coverage has to be available to all Americans at an affordable cost. This means there needs to be income-proportional out-of-pocket expenses and comprehensive preventative and diagnostic benefits.

We have to protect lower-income children and families by broadly sharing the cost of health care reform (like we do with Medicare and Social Security).

There must be a sustainable foundation for the future. It is also important that any legislation protects the religious liberties and values of providers. No one should be forced to do anything that is against their value system.

We are not talking about socialized medicine. We are not talking about taking away options or choices of doctors.

Read the plan proposed by President Barack Obama. We are protecting the most vulnerable in our society to have the care that comes with good insurance.

Medicare is the backbone of health coverage for the elderly. Is it perfect? No, but where would we be if it was not available to our seniors? Should we do any less for the working poor of our culture? The unemployed? The underemployed?

JEANNE HIGGINS, Jacksonville

REPLY: CHEVY VOLT: Electric cars work

In the letter titled "Fuel Efficiency," I can't believe what I just read.

First, the writer referred to the Chevy Volt as a Dodge.

Then he contends that the Volt "doesn't really get 230 mpg." I believe that General Motors can and will prove this with "controlled environment studies."

The real glitz to this story is, "You don't plug it in." Well, next time you watch the news or brew coffee, just plug it in. You are contributing to the pollution of the environment.

A final note of interest on the Toyota Prius, you know the hybrid that gets 50 mpg? Toyota will be introducing a "plug it in" electric vehicle.

Yep, just like the Dodge, er, the Chevy Volt.

TOM KELLY, retired, GM engineering, Orange Park

HEALTH CARE: It's not broken

Health care is essential to my family.

My children are 8 and 10 years of age, and I have relied on our doctors and our health care system before they were even born.

We were diagnosed as the "unexplained" infertile couple after 15 years of marriage.

Without God first, and then the health care system, I do not think I would be a mom.

We had to fight to have the insurance company pay for the treatments over a five-year period. After three years of writing letters to all the board of directors, most of the medical costs were finally paid for.

Patience really is a virtue! I also learned that we have amazing primary care doctors and specialists. The technology stands out far and wide in so many fields of medicine in the U.S. Why even consider fixing it?

All that needs correcting are the high costs that are passed on to the patients and the insurance costs the doctors have to pay to stay in practice.

Yes, the people who do not have health care and cannot afford to pay for it should be helped somehow.

But not at the cost of the 90 percent who are pleased with what they have.

JEANNIE GRACY, Atlantic Beach

NEW HIGH SCHOOL: Name it for Speicher

Why name the new southeast high school something generic like "Baywood," "Baymeadows," "Deermeadows," or "Twin Lakes?"

While those names are OK, they are also bland and they don't stand for much of anything.

Why have the sports teams and mascots named "The Stingrays," "The Black Bears" or Gators?

I'll bet most students would be proud to attend "Captain Michael Scott Speicher High School!"

The sports teams could be named "The Aviators."

What do the students' parents and the taxpayers of Jacksonville who are paying for this school prefer?

Let's hear from them!

JAMES CROWLEY, Jacksonville

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